Greene King recognised by Number 10 for apprenticeship commitment

Pub company Greene King has been recognised by the government for its role in promoting and creating apprenticeships.

The company's chief executive officer, Rooney Anand, attended a reception with Prime Minister David Cameron and business secretary Sajid Javid at Number 10, along with two of the business's apprentices, Mark Robinson and Jenna Stewart.

Yesterday's reception was also attended by representatives of both private and public UK businesses, to acknowledge their role in creating a record number of apprenticeship opportunities. Anand confirmed that the company had delivered on its 2015 pledge to create 2,000 more apprenticeships within a year, taking the number of apprentices with the group to 3,300.

The announcement comes following the company's acquisition of the Spirit Pub Company last year.

Anand said: "We are really proud of our apprenticeship programme and passionate about supporting our employees with their career development at Greene King. We were really pleased to have recently delivered on our latest pledge of 2,000 people starting an apprenticeship."

He added: "There is real enthusiasm for our apprenticeship programme and not only do we want to ensure the apprentice's experience is a valuable one, we want to continue to improve the quality and opportunities for those who commit to the 12-month programmes."

Javid commented: "Three million more apprenticeships by 2020 means even more life-changing opportunities for our young people. More than that, apprenticeships make sense for business. That's why some of the country's top business leaders are coming together to bang the drum for apprenticeships."

Greene King offers apprenticeships across its business, with staff in retail able to achieve qualifications from level 2 to 4 including food production and cooking, professional cookery and management.

Founded in 1799, the Bury St. Edmunds-based company now employs 42,000 people and operates over 3,100 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland, in a mixture of retail pubs, restaurants, hotels, and tenanted, leased and franchised pubs. Its major brands include Hungry Horse, Old English Inns, Chef & Brewer and Flaming Grill.

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